


Starry Night

by spiritualmachines



Category: Hanson (Band)
Genre: One Shot, Other, POV First Person, Short, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2019-05-24 13:48:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14955821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritualmachines/pseuds/spiritualmachines
Summary: Excerpt:Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my—.Prompt: Bad DayPhoto:Click





	Starry Night

**Author's Note:**

> *This story is from Taylor's POV.

“Could you be any later coming in on the chorus?”

“I wasn’t late! You need to learn how to keep a steady beat instead of always trying to rush things.”

“Guys,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose as I let out a deep sigh. “Come on, one more time.”

“Yeah, come on, Ike. Try to get it right just once. That’s all we need.”

“This is not my fault, Zac. I am following _your_ lead, you control freak.”

“Go suck a dick.”

“That’s _enough_!” I snapped, slamming my hand down on the piano and standing up in frustration. 

My movement was so abrupt that the bench fell backward, clattering to the ground with a loud thud and skidding a few inches before stopping against a discarded amp. 

“We’ve been working on the same fucking line of the same fucking song for over an _hour_ now, but we’re not making any progress. And I’m tired of trying to make progress when it’s clear that you’re in the mood to fight, not be the slightest bit productive. So I give up; I’m done. Let me know when you’ve both decided to grow the fuck up.”

Both pairs of eyes were on me as they gaped at me, stunned by my outburst. Since I was the one who normally called the shots, they were waiting for me to continue, but instead I turned on my heel and walked out. I had nothing else to say.

They had been at each other’s throats since we’d first arrived in Texas for our annual songwriting retreat. Maybe it had been a mistake to plan a writing session so soon after returning from Cancun, when tensions were still running high and we’d given ourselves precious little time to relax. Still, we had made a commitment to the other artists who were making the trip down south, and backing out just wasn’t our style.

I stepped outside for some fresh air, heading to the common area of the lawn with the hope of conversing with someone I wasn’t related to. Andrew. Carrick. _Anyone_. Hell, I would have talked to the damn cat if he’d been around. It wasn’t that I wanted to be alone; I just couldn’t bear to be around Zac and Isaac any longer.

Unfortunately, the universe must have been laughing at me, as the back yard was totally deserted. With a sigh, I sank down onto one of the benches near the seldom used fire pit and hoped for some semblance of peace. I had come here to write, record, and create—not listen to my brothers go back and forth without accomplishing much of anything.

For about the fifty-sixth time since I had made the promise to my eldest son, I wished that I hadn't given up smoking as a New Year's resolution. I would have killed for a smoke, a joint, vapor... anything. But much like my desire for company, I was sorely lacking. It was probably a good thing, though, for I don't believe Ezra would have taken "your uncles are childish assholes" as a valid excuse for picking up the habit once more. 

The sound of crunching gravel made me close my eyes tightly and utter a silent prayer. Please be someone other than one of my brothers. _Please_. Be a coyote that wants to have me for dinner, just please don’t be someone with the last name Hanson. 

When I cautiously opened my eyes, I breathed out a sigh of relief upon discovering that it was only Andrew, a beer clutched in one hand and his cell phone in the other. I tried to wave him over, but he merely waved back at me before moving to a secluded corner of the lawn, where he proceeded to give his undivided attention to his phone. 

I really couldn't blame him for checking up at home. Even in a house full of people, it was entirely possible for loneliness to become crippling, especially when you were away from your wife and child. Still, I clung to the hope that he would come chat with me when he was finished. I’d been so busy playing the part of middleman between Ike and Zac that I’d hardly had any time to sit down with any of our guests one-on-one. 

Hopefully they had gotten the hint and were working out their issues. If not, I was willing to resort to homicide. I had far too many siblings, anyway.

When Andrew sauntered back toward me, the phone still pressed to his ear, I felt myself smile at the thought that I’d finally have someone interesting to talk to. But my smile slipped into a frown when he gave me a passing nod before heading back inside. So much for the idea of company. 

With another sigh, I reclined onto my back and shifted my gaze to the sprawling expanse of sky above me. The outer lights of the compound were bright enough to illuminate walkways, but not so intense that they stole away from the beauty of the natural surroundings. It was a particularly clear night, and the sparkling nests of stars were exploding with brilliance. Just as I began to relax, a hand reached into my line of sight and placed a cupcake on my chest.

"Peace offering?"

I focused my eyes on Zac, who was staring down at me apologetically and holding a bottle of Mmmhops out to me.

Sitting up without knocking the cupcake to the ground was a surprisingly difficult task, but once I managed, I took a large bite, savoring the rich, buttercream frosting as it melted on my tongue. Then I grabbed the beer from Zac without a word and treated myself to a long drink.

"I'm sorry for being such an asshole," Zac said, lowering his body down beside mine. "I realize that I’ve been one for the entirety of 2015 so far, and to be honest, I'm a little surprised you haven't murdered me yet."

Well, I had to give the little shit some credit. He knew me well, if nothing else.

"I know you hate excuses, so I'm not going to give them to you. What I will give you is a promise to focus on the music and give you my all," he continued, stretching his legs out in front of him as I polished off the cupcake.

“You swear?” I asked, glancing over at him skeptically after swallowing another gulp of beer.

“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my—.”

“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point,” I said, putting an end to his dramatic speech. “Why don’t we take the rest of the night off, and start fresh in the morning?”

He nodded, patting my thigh in a show of thanks for not killing him, I presumed.

"Sounds good. There’s this beat I've been working on that I want you to hear. I think it’ll go perfectly with the melody I heard you playing before dinner. Scoodly bops and all," he said with a grin, revealing that in spite of bickering with Isaac, he really _had_ been paying attention.

“I can’t wait to hear it,” I replied, chuckling despite myself.

As he stood up, he ruffled my hair and placed a kiss on the top of my head. 

"Goodnight, Tay. Don't stay out here for hours. We both know a night of sleep with the bed all to yourself will do you some good."

I watched him walk back to the house, whistling the melody that I had been playing, and shook my head with another laugh. For as stubborn and idiotic as he could be sometimes, he was far more attentive than I gave him credit for. 

Stretching out on my back again, I held the cool bottle of beer against my chest and stared up at the night sky once more. The canvas overhead was such a breathtaking sight to behold, and I felt the side effects of my bad day melting away. Suddenly, I didn't mind being out there alone. It was a humbling reminder that I was just a tiny speck in the big picture of life. And with a sky so beautiful and stars so bright, how could I feel anything less than grateful for the simple fact of being alive?


End file.
